1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for adjusting lumbosacral area, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for adjusting lumbosacral area, which corrects misalignment of the vertebrae in the lumbosacral area by applying pressure on the lumbosacral area. To be specific, the present invention relieves pressure on nerves between the fifth lumbar vertebra (hucklebone) and the first sacral vertebra (pelvic bone), thereby enabling users, whether or not they surfer from vertebral displacement to alleviate nerve compression between the lumbar vertebrae and the sacral vertebrae in the lumbosacral area.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, the spinal column which is one of the most important parts in the human body is a central bone structure. Therefore, the importance of the vertebrae has been well known and emphasized. An exemplary view of the spinal column is shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating the configuration of the spinal column in the human body.
Referring to FIG. 8, the spinal column consists of a series of 33 irregularly shaped bones, which are called vertebrae. The vertebrae are bilaterally symmetrical as a whole and look gently curved when being seen from a side. That is to say, cervical area 1 and lumbar area 3 are curved forward and thoracic area 2 and sacral area 4 are curved backward. Reference numeral 5 designates coccygeal area.
The important function of the spinal column is divided into two categories. One is to support the head and torso and allow the body parts to move. The other is to provide a protective channel for nerves, which project from the brain to each part of the human body.
Spinal nerves exit the spinal canal between the vertebrae. The spinal nerves are made up of neurons which are widely distributed within all organs, muscles, blood vessels, ligaments, and skin of the human body. The spinal column and the spinal nerves control all physical functions, such as feeling, movement, position sense, regulation of body temperature, regulation of heart rate, regulation of respiration, regulation of blood glucose, etc. Such nerve systems control every activity done both voluntarily and involuntarily. Therefore, it is of paramount importance in health that the vertebrae for protecting the spinal cord, i.e., the bundle of nerves, are in their correct positions.
That is to say, when the vertebrae are in the correct positions, the spinal cord or the spinal nerves function well without any difficulty whereas when the vertebrae are displaced, the spinal nerves exiting the spinal canal between the vertebrae begin to be compressed, thereby causing troubles in many nerve systems. The troubles in the nerve system undermine functions of human organs concerned and immune systems as well, leading to a serious disease.
Since a human being walks on two legs, differently from animals which walk on four limbs, he or she suffers an excessive force applied to the waist, especially to a contact point between the lumbar vertebrae (hucklebone) and the sacral vertebrae (pelvic bone), such that he or she is susceptible to vertebral displacement. This is because the sacral vertebrae are curved forward, abnormal stress is applied on him or her due to gravity generated by the large lordosis angle of the sacral vertebrae. Besides, since the lumbar vertebrae are moved in a wide range while the sacral vertebrae are fixed, the lumbosacral vertebrae, pertaining to the lumbar vertebrae and the sacral vertebrae, are susceptible to damage when he or she bends his or her back forward or backward.
Therefore, the misalignment of the vertebrae in the lumbosacral area should be corrected by widening the space between the sacral vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae to remove the stress applied to the lumbosacral area 6. Even persons who don't suffer from a lumbago can enjoy vibrant metabolism and better life physically and mentally through the process of removing the stress applied to the lumbosacral area 6.
In general, a vertebrae deformity adjusting apparatus used in physical therapy rooms of hospitals or the like is structured such that it repeatedly pulls a patient's body in a longitudinal direction for a predetermined time using an elastic force of a spring or a mechanical force to relax the vertebrae and then stops the application of the pulling force to return the patient's body to its original state, thereby guiding the vertebrae into their correct positions. However, since the vertebrae deformity adjusting apparatus functions to only extend the human body, it has a limitation in vertebral misalignment correction.
A more developed type of apparatus than the above vertebrae deformity adjusting apparatus is disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 93-4383 (registered on Jul. 14, 1993). In a state where a patient's body is pulled in a longitudinal direction, the lower half of the body is shaken to guide the vertebrae to their correct positions. The apparatus, however, has a drawback in that since the lower half of the body is simply shaken while the body is extended, to stop the application of the pulling force is not of considerable help in correcting the deformity of the vertebrae.
Besides, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 99-5079 (published on Feb. 5, 1999) discloses an apparatus which adjusts the vertebrae by instantly applying a pressure to the vertebrae. The apparatus of Korean Utility Model Publication No. 99-5079 is superior in adjustment effect to the aforesaid apparatuses which simply extend or shake the patient's body. The apparatus of Korean Utility Model Publication No. 99-5079, however, has a disadvantage in that it can be applied only to a case where the degree of misalignment is not serious and it is not so useful to correct vertebral misalignment in the lumbosacral joint region. The apparatus has another disadvantage in that it cannot basically solve stress concentration on the lumbosacral joint region where the lumbar vertebrae and the sacral vertebrae meet together.